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Welcome to the Brainstorm Blog! The primary news source the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS), Mississippi's only public, residential high school dedicated to the development of the state's most academically gifted students.

Five MSMS Students Win QuestBridge Scholarships

MSMS is pleased to announce that five of the school’s students have been matched with colleges through the QuestBridge National College Match Program.

The students who have been matched with colleges are:

Sarah Conwell - Vanderbilt University

Sasha Edwards - Washington and Lee University

Elle McKenzie - Vassar College

Greg Thompson - Vanderbilt University

Isaiah Williams - Stanford University

Sarah Conwell, of Marigold, Mississippi, is the daughter of Marvin and Deannon Conwell. Before attending MSMS she was a student at Clarksdale High School.

Sasha Edwards, of Senatobia, Mississippi, is the daughter of Frannette and Carlow Edwards. Before attending MSMS, she was a student at Senatobia High School.

Elle McKenzie, of Hernando, Mississippi, is the daughter of Ann Mckenzie and Peter Amminger. Before attending MSMS, she was a student at Hernando High School.

Greg Thompson, of Lamar, Mississippi, is the son of Gregory and Sharla Thompson. Before attending MSMS, he was a student at Byhalia High School.

Isaiah Williams, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, is the son of Byron and Kelly Williams. Before attending MSMS, he was a student at Richland High School.

These students will be provided with full four-year scholarships to the schools with which they have been matched. The mission of QuestBridge is to match high-achieving, low-income students with substantial scholarship opportunities.

More than 13,000 students applied for the QuestBridge program this year. Of those, 4,895 were selected as finalists. Of the finalists, 657 students were matched with colleges.

According to the QuestBridge website: “QuestBridge is a national non-profit based in Palo Alto, California. It connects the nation’s most exceptional, low-income youth with leading institutions of higher education and further life opportunities. By recruiting, developing, and motivating these students – beginning in high school through college to their first job – QuestBridge aims to increase the percentage of low-income students attending the nation’s best colleges and to support them to achieve success in their respective careers and communities.”

The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science is Mississippi’s only public, residential high school specifically designed to meet the needs of the state’s most academically gifted. Founded in 1987, MSMS fosters the academically gifted and talented through their last two years of high school. The school is located on the campus of the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Mississippi. Last year, the graduating class of 2015 was offered more than $21 million in scholarships. MSMS is currently accepting applications to the class of 2018. For more information about MSMS, please visit www.themsms.org.